There has been a lot of controversy about women posting photos of themselves breastfeeding their children on the social networking site Facebook. I have read a number of comments on other blogs and news sites that judge the women who have done this, assuming some pretty ignorant reasons for their actions. In order to dispell some myths, I thought I would ask some of the women from the Facebook Group “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is Not Obscene” just why they posted breastfeeding pictures of themselves and their babies in the first place. The following is a random sample of their answers, of which I edited for clarity and brevity.
Thank you to the women who took the time to answer these questions and share their stories.
Why do you have pictures of yourself nursing your children?
Why wouldn’t I? I have pictures of my kids having a bath, eating their first piece of birthday cake, taking their first steps, sleeping. The list goes on and on. Breastfeeding is just another snapshot from their childhoods.
There are no pictures of my mom nursing me as a baby, which is a shame as I think it is an important thing to have proof of doing. I wanted visual proof that I breastfed.
Our babies looked so cute when they nursed. I wanted pictures so I could remember that time when they were so dependant on me.
It was important to me to capture all of my child’s milestones as well as her activities of daily living. I needed her to know she was breastfed and how that contributed not only to her health as a child, but also to the amazing bond we have today.
Why did you choose to post a breastfeeding photo on Facebook?
So my friends and family who love and support me could see them. They’re beautiful photos. I honestly never took into consideration that other people besides them would see them too.
The photo I posted was just a part of a series of shots of the day I had. My son had lunch. It was just a part of the day. I also think that the more people who see breastfeeding pictures, the more normal it becomes.
I’m not out to make a statement, but I want to set an example.
This is my way of educating people. Nursing is nothing to be ashamed of. Young women especially need to see that breastfeeding is a healthy, natural, and loving act.
So my friends can see what I do all day. Lol!
I’m proud of nursing my daughter. I wanted to share my pride in my daughter and in myself for overcoming some major hang-ups I used to have about my body and breastfeeding.
Did you ever consider how much of your breast was or was not showing in the picture?
I don’t even think about it. My baby gets hungry and he nurses. For the amount of time we spend doing it everyday, the last thing I need to worry about is whether or not someone in the room might catch a glimpse of nipple! So when someone pointed the camera at me I just smiled!
I did think about it. I have some pictures that I wouldn’t share because my areola is showing. I only posted a couple photos that were more modest and didn’t really show my breast at all.
I would have posted more pictures than I did but my partner was concerned about other men seeing my breasts and sexualizing them, so I only posted the ones he was comfortable having other people look at.
You can’t see any part of my breast in the picture.
I thought about it for a second and then decided I didn’t care who sees my breast. It’s just a breast. People know what they look like, they see them all the time in change rooms, and if they have never seen one before then maybe now is a good time to learn about them. Breasts feed babies. God made them for this sole purpose. End of story!
What about you?
If you have posted a breastfeeding photo of yourself and your child or children on Facebook or other Internet site and would like to share your motivation behind it, or if you have a comment you’d like to share, we would love to hear from you.
Related posts:
- Twitter Writes Me A Breastfeeding Post!
- Feminism and Equality For Breastfeeding Women
- We Interrupt This Breastfeeding Post…
- Hey Facebook! Change Your Policies! Breastfeeding is Not Obscene!
- Monday Musings: Why Do So Many Women Living in Poverty Not Breastfeed??
Tags: breastfeeding photos, Facebook
This is a great article. I am amazed at some of the graphic photos that are allowed on facebook, other social networking sites and mainstream media advertising.
Why is a picture of feeding a child naturally worse than the huge posters scantilly clad and highly provocative women that are larger than life down at the Bay center? With facebook you control who sees the pictures but anyone can and does see those huge posters.
I find it interesting to read the different motivations and considerations women have in regards to this issue. For me personally, I take pictures of my children nursing because it’s been a huge part of my parenting experience and I want to remember that blissed out, eyes rolled back, ecstasy look that they get when nursing, among other nursing moments. I take the pictures for me and for them. I share the pictures if it’s a good photo. Like any good art, sharing is a way to let others enjoy the beauty.
I’m a portrait photographer who specializes in children, and I always ask moms if they want a nursing photo taken. Most of the time they say yes, and end up buying the nursing picture. It’s a nice moment to treasure, and they are so little once and you spend so much of that initial time worrying about “doing it right” that I think people forget about the closeness that it gives you. I nursed my first son until 27 months and regret I don’t have more nursing pictures of him. I blogged about it here: http://blog.alexnguyenportrait.....eding.html
This is great Melodie, way to go.
My third child and first son is coming up to his one year birthday. When I got the ache to have another child, part of it was to experience breast feeding once more in my life, and to have a son. I have been blessed with both of my hopes being fulfilled. My oldest daughter is 16 and when she was a baby, she weaned me at 6 months in favour of a faster flowing bottle, my second daughter breast fed until 18 months, and it felt like the right time then. Now, I am hoping to nurse until he is 2 yrs. I get feedback from women who see me in public and say “good for you”. These are usually women in their sixties plus, that did not feel they could do such a thing in their time. I have taken it for granted, because nothing would stop me nursing my child when that is what was needed in that moment. My breasts are not exposed and I am discreet, I have not posted pictures anywhere except in my bedside table and in their baby books. I really appreciate being able to blog this, when this time of my life passes, and I am no longer immersed in baby I am hopeful that the meditations I have had while nursing will remain with me, I savour every opportunity with this final child, even when it is 2:00 a.m.
Cheers,
Diane.
Re: Jennifer’s comment.
Thank you for your description of breast feeding your baby : “I want to remember that blissed out, eyes rolled back, ecstasy look that they get when nursing, among other nursing moments…”. It made me laugh, and smile because I know exactly what you are talking about, as does any mother that has breast fed. I am 30 weeks prego with my second, and looking forward to nursing again!
A few months ago, I was looking for nursing models (read real breastfeeding mothers) to model for my new line of nursing clothing (www.momzelle.com). I was amazed at the number of responses we obtained. The moms who wanted to act as models were very generous, and their pictures are now all over our website. Why did they agree to model ? They were proud to breastfeed, they felt confident that their privacy would be respected, and they thought it would be nice to get beautiful pictures of them nursing their baby, as it is an important part of the life of a Canadian mom on mat leave. Since then, we have asked the moms who have purchased a Momzelle nursing top to post their picture on a special section of our website (www.momzelle.com/momzphotos.html)and I keep being surprised and amazed by the pictures that we receive. I believe that seeing other breastfeeding moms (or pictures of them) is one of the strongest incentives to breastfeed.
Oh my goodness!!!! I didn’t realize there was controversy associated with posting pictures of myself breastfeeding! I didn’t even think about it before I uploaded. The only thing that crossed my mind was getting the word out about World Breastfeeding Week and hoping someone would hit the link that I posted to worldbreastfeedingweek.org. Seemed like an intellectual move for me, not a move to show my breast or spark up controversy. Shame it has to be that way in this country.
I have shown breastfeeding pics to other moms for 2 reasons.
#1, my main reason why I love breastfeeding pics is that I think it’s the most beautiful thing! My sister has a 7 week old baby and I could just watch her nurse him for hours! I get all misty eyed because it’s just so amazingly beautiful! I get nostalgic remembering nursing my two, and I start getting baby fever. Birth is beautiful and amazing and a miracle and people can see that, but for some reason they don’t see nursing the same way. I do. I see it as a beautiful moving and amazing miracle. That a woman’s body doesn’t stop nourishing the child’s body when they are born, but nourishes the child still, close to her heart, skin to skin, total sweet innocence, and immersed in love. I am so moved by the beauty of it when I see a baby nursing! So when I get a good pic of my own nursing I want to share it. Just like you want to share the first newborn pic of your baby all slimy and bloody and crying. It’s LIFE and life is precious.
And reason #2 is to encourage other mothers. Like someone else said, the more you see something the more natural it seems. We live in a culture where nourishing an infant is obscene but Janet Jackson running around in nearly nothing but pasties (until they fall off… oopsie!) is not obscene?! This is because people see celebs running around like working hookers all the time and don’t think twice, but nursing mothers feel like we have to hide.
I have always made sure no part of my nipple is showing and that the rest of my body is not obviously displaying things I wouldn’t normally display either. The focus is on the sweet sleepy nursling.
I think a big problem is that men (and women) are posessive of the breasts and seeing a child nursing makes them feel uncomfortable because they have to think of them as being for feeding babies and not just for sex appeal. Because breastfeeding is not a very public thing, whereas in our current culture sex is a very public thing, alot of people can’t reconcile in their minds that breasts serve a dual purpose. They are afraid that one might take away from the other. That breastfeeding nullifies the sex appeal of the breasts.
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I can understand why women post these photos, but there are some groups on facebook, who have a lot of women who post pictures in some strange game to see who reports and takes the photos down. They ahve fully admitted to this and only care about if the photo gets taken down rather than just sharing the beauty and joy of their photo. That’s kind of sad IMO.
I love to see photos of a mother and baby sharing a special moment, but it feels cheap knowing the mother is only posting photos to try to get a social website’s goat.
i did post my pictures in the facebook account! =)
got overwhelming support from friends… i am proud of what i am doing =)